Japanese Stayer Late 2010 Melbourne Cup Nomination

Up-and-coming Japanese stayer Meisho Dontaku has further strengthened the overseas contingent in this year’s 150th Melbourne Cup after connections paid the additional late nomination fee.

The 2010 Melbourne Cup nominations closed last Tuesday, but the VRC will accept late nominations for the 150th anniversary of the world’s richest handicap up until tomorrow, Tuesday August 10.

The Masaru Honda-trained Meisho Dontaku has been nominated for the $6 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Tuesday November 2 and also the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup(2400m) on Saturday October 23.

When the first list of Melbourne Cup entries was announced last week, 253 horses had been nominated including five from Japan.

The top two Japanese raiders were Jaguar Mail and Meiner Kitz who finished one-two in Japan’s premiers stayers race, the Group 1 Tenno Sho earlier in the year.

Four-year-old Meisho Dontaku also put in an eye catching performance in the Tenno Sho, which is run over the same distance as the prestigious Melbourne Cup, finishing third.

The other horses looking to represent Japan in the 2010 Melbourne Cup final field are six-year-old Three Orion, the Kenji Nonaka-trained Tokai Trick and veteran grey galloper White Pilgrim who has also been nominated for the $3 million Cox Plate(2040m) on Saturday October 23.